The Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Loneliness

Loneliness and social phobia on their own can be a symptom or an after effect. It all depends on the individual condition of each person, because loneliness is often triggered by a lack of social support and a missing sense of belonging. Having said that, for us to understand the depth of the relationship between social anxiety and loneliness, there are a few personality traits to consider, namely: self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-perception, all of which can affect how susceptible we are to social anxiety disorder.

A study conducted in 2017 investigated the relationship between the participants' self-esteem, level of social anxiety, and their sense of social connectedness. Their findings demonstrated that participants with low self-esteem tended to seek ways to avoid social events. What’s more, they found that said participants didn’t really feel social bonds, nor did they feel supported. In other words, they felt lonely.

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Loneliness: Social Anxiety

Whoever said we need to love ourselves first before we love someone else wasn’t fully off base! The inability to show ourselves the love, kindness, and overall compassion that we deserve can be a significant stimulant for social phobia. The curious part about self-compassion, although it sounds simple enough, is that it can affect so much of our lives! Aside from lowering our risks of potential mental health disorders, including social anxiety, it can also help us foster traits such as mindfulness and self-kindness, as well as avoid isolation – a major element behind loneliness.

Another aspect that might trigger social anxiety is self-perception! While it’s commonly interchanged with self-esteem, self-perception represents how we process and interpret our thoughts, emotions, and even behaviors, so that we’re able to define who we are. Since loneliness is greatly affected by our emotional, cognitive, and overall mental health, it’s only natural that the success of our social integration be determined by how positively or negatively we perceive ourselves.

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Loneliness: Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety: Biological, Psychological, and Social Causes

Despite the many assumptions that living with social anxiety means we’re living way too much in our own heads, worrying about what others think of us, it’s often untrue! Social anxiety has numerous causal factors; while some may be in our control, others aren't. Yet, we try to handle it to the best of our capabilities. So, what are the causes of social anxiety?

Biological Explanation:

Family history plays a role in triggering social anxiety. In fact, genetics can increase our chances of inheriting generalized anxiety disorder, making us 30% more susceptible to it, and more susceptible to many other conditions within the spectrum of anxiety.

Brain activity can also affect social anxiety; research shows that the amygdala (a structure in the brain that plays a role in controlling our feelings, emotional behavior, and how we perceive stimuli) can majorly impact how we experience social anxiety and even depression –which is another condition that has been associated with feelings of being alienated! When the amygdala is hyperactive, it increases our risk of developing mental health disorders like social anxiety and depression.

Neurotransmitters can also be a contributing factor! Specifically, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are chemicals which actively influence the functioning of the amygdala. Just as well, an imbalance of the serotonin and dopamine levels can cause a person to develop social anxiety disorder.

Hormonal fluctuations are also involved! The hormonal release of corticotropin can stimulate anxiety receptors. Studies have shown that the overexpression of the corticotropin hormone is a very common symptom for those who live with anxiety disorder.

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Loneliness: Social Anxiety

Negative self-perception. Some of us might think that we don’t possess the adequate skills to help us ace a social event. This can come from being too self-conscious of our presence in a social situation, or being too focused on people’s expectations of us during social situations.

Contemplating a previous event. Experiencing one or more embarrassing social situations is perfectly normal, but some people can’t help but feel stuck in them; they keep reliving it.

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Loneliness: Social Anxiety

Childhood traumas, such as bullying, and different forms of rejection or humiliation can also increase our susceptibility to social anxiety.

Family issues and experiences of abuse or traumatic events can also be major contributors to the development of social anxiety.

Social Explanation:

There is hardly anyone who hasn't dreaded trainwrecking a social event, especially the ones with high stakes! Sometimes we perceive an event or experience to be a defining moment in our lives, be it an interview for an esteemed university, or meeting a partner’s family for the first time.

It’s okay to feel nervous, but it’s important that we set realistic expectations of the social encounter we’re about to have. It’s also important that we give ourselves a pat on the back for the progress we make in becoming better at social engagements.

You’ve got this!

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Loneliness: Social Anxiety